Frontline Blog

Substitute shortages continue to be a top concern for school districts across the country, and there are plenty of theories why: teacher shortages make it easier for new educators to find full-time jobs, or wages are too low to make substitute teaching an attractive choice, or people have moved into other careers as the economy has recovered.

Employee wellness programs aren’t just for corporate America anymore. In Emporia Public Schools, former Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Andy Koenigs led the charge to create an incredibly successful wellness initiative from scratch.

The innovation we see in education today is absolutely amazing. Teachers are hard at work coming up with creative new ways to help their students learn, and deserve a lot of praise for the work they do.

If somebody asked about the role of HR in your district, what would you say? Would you describe what you do, or why you do it? If you wanted to say what you do, you might tell them a version of the mission statement posted on the HR page of your district website.  That probably looks something like this: The mission of the human resources department is to recruit, retain and support the most highly qualified employees.  

Are you ready to reach for the stars at AASPA’s 79th Annual Conference? We’re counting down the days until the conference begins, and we can’t wait to see everyone there! There’s so much we’re looking forward to: four days full of learning, the chance to hear about the innovation happening in HR districts across the country and meet some of the most brilliant minds in the field — not to mention the beautiful surroundings and sunny warmth of Phoenix, Arizona.  

The start of school may feel like it’s worlds away, but it will be here before you know it. But before back-to-school season comes around the corner, take a moment to reflect on not just what you do to support educators throughout the year, but why you do it.  

Congratulations — you’ve made it to the end of the school year! Don’t head out to the beach (or pool, or picnic) just yet, though. Before you hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach, make sure that you and your substitute management program are set for summer with these three tips.

Let’s take a look at some of the year’s employee absence data, courtesy of the Frontline Research & Learning Institute. We’ve compared the average number of illness-related employee absences compared to CDC flu trends to see how the past flu season has impacted the country’s schools.

Halloween is almost upon us, bringing chilly air and spooky scenes. It’s the one time of year that you might not be quite as surprised to find a monster lurking under your desk — but the thing is, some monsters live in school district offices all year round.